CARLSBAD— Despite more than an hour of community opposition during public comment, the Carlsbad City Council voted 4-1 on Tuesday to approve the redevelopment of Carlsbad Village Plaza, a project that has stirred deep concern among residents.
The redevelopment will transform the existing retail center into two five-story buildings containing 218 apartments, including 27 designated affordable units. The project also features a five-story parking structure and 13,800 square feet of commercial space.
State housing laws, including the Housing Accountability Act and density bonus laws, significantly constrained the council’s options to oppose the project.
Principal Planner Cliff Jones explained that recent state legislation has “fundamentally changed how we review new housing projects” and highlighted how these laws, designed to promote affordable housing, limit the autonomy of local governments. For example, through density bonus laws, the developer was permitted to surpass Carlsbad’s building height restrictions.
“The state’s goal in passing these laws is to accelerate the development of new housing, especially affordable housing, to meet the demand,” Jones said during the meeting. “So even though cities have traditionally had control over how land is used, and here in Carlsbad, this included establishing a cap of how many homes would be built today, we find ourselves in a much different position.”
During the public comment period, residents again shared their disapproval, particularly lamenting the loss of critical businesses like Smart & Final and Denault’s Ace Hardware, which they argue are integral to the community.
Longtime resident Chris Wright expressed frustration with the disregard for community voices.
“In all my years of doing research, I’ve never encountered such an overwhelming objection to a project,” Wright said. “Both sides of the issue have come together to object to this proposed development.”
Mary Copeland, a resident at the nearby Tavarua senior living complex, expressed concern about the impact of redevelopment on her neighbors.
“It would be an extreme hardship for me and the 49 other people that live at Tavarua to be forced to shop at Vons,” Copeland said, referring to the grocery store a mile south of the current Smart & Final location in Village Plaza. “And you’re going to put a Barron’s in there. That’s the most expensive store you can put in there. It just makes no sense.”
The redevelopment is exempt from a full environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as an infill project. Jones noted during the meeting that the state has delineated 33 projects that can bypass full environmental scrutiny if specific criteria are met. T
The Carlsbad Village project qualified under the Class 32 Infill Exemption, which applies to urban housing projects smaller than five acres that align with local zoning and general plans and do not significantly impact traffic, noise, air quality or water quality.
Despite the project’s discussion during three Planning Commission hearings and public outreach efforts, residents’ criticism remained. Earlier in the year, the commission recommended the project for approval with a 5-2 vote.
Ultimately, the council voted 4-1 in favor of proceeding, citing state mandates as an overriding factor. Councilmember Melanie Burkholder was the lone dissenting vote, aligning with concerns over the impact on local businesses and the changing character of Carlsbad Village.
“This is really tough, you heard your district council member reiterate how tough it is, and I think we all completely agree with those sentiments,” Councilmember Priya Bhat-Patel said during the meeting, referring to Burkholder’s dissent. “If we all could do what she could, we would, but I think this [project] is going to be moving forward.”
